365 Days of Defiance, Day 52: Democracy Dies in Darkness

I couldn't write this blog (and you couldn't read it, not even with very very good spectacles) if we didn't have, defend, and fight for the First Amendment, which we probably take pretty much for granted, right? I mean, you'd never read me making jokes about how Vince Colletta erased more of the Marvel Universe than Jack Kirby created without the First Amendment. About now I'm imagining you're saying "Well, Bully, if you love the First Amendment so much, why don't you marry it?" And I believe you're correct. I will marry it. Hey, you may think the First Amendment is shabby and old-fashioned and out of touch with the kids of today and their Trapper-Keepers and magnetic tops and disdain for the original Battlestar Galactica, but I bet you can purely hypothetically, imagine what an organized attack from some high-level force upon the voices of freedom in the press might possibly look like, can't you? I think you might be able to possibly imagine that in these times, no matter how weak your belief in gnomes is.

With that in mind, here's a true (for once, we think) comic book story of defiance, a short history the woman known as "Madame Ruse" who risked torture and death under the Nazi occupation of Belgium to produce La Libre Belgique, a newspaper of the Free Belgian Underground. You can read just a little bit more about the underground newspaper (and see a page from it) here. But it's a history any college professor or Wikipedia editor would hand back to you stamped "citation needed," because I can't find very much supporting evidence that "Madame Ruse" actually existed except for this comic book and a single story in a 1944 issue of the Long Beach Independent. So I present "Freedom's Press" to you with the caveat that this comic book story might be fictional. (Aren't they all?) But legend or truth, it's a fascinating if truncated story of truth under oppression, and a cautionary tale for the future of our age of accusations of "fake news".




"Freedom's Press" from Calling All Girls #40 (June-July 1945), scripter and artist unknown

365 Days of Defiance, Day 51: The Last Temptation of Prez Rickard

As William Howard Taft, one of our belovedest and roly-polyest Presidents would say: "Hey hey hey, It's Presidents' Day!" And it is*! You can't sneak much past President Taft, not even a bathtub.

That's why we're gathered here today to salute America's Greatest President (sit down, James K. Polk): Prez Rickard!


Panels from Sandman (1989 series) #54 (October 1993), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Michael Allred, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein
The religious allegories are pretty obvious even in the DC Universe where Superman has been known to stretch out his arms when hovering and Mxyzptlk frequently turns lemonade into Grapefruit Kryptonite. Prez is brought out to the wasteland and tempted, not with the usual comic-book rewards of fame and power...oh, wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. He's tempted with exactly fame and power.


And in a dream...or maybe something more like true waking...he conversates with the Little President Who Thought He Could, Richard M. Nixon, trying to convince our pajamaless protagonist that the best creed you can folliow in the White House is every man for himself. (SHAMELESS CROSS-WEBSITE PROMOTIONAL PLUG: Don't forget to check out my article on 13th Dimension for a rundown of the 13 faces of Richard Nixon in Comics! Don't worry, we'll wipe the taped after you've been there.)


But that's not the way Prez rolls. (Prez Rolls, available at your local supermarket on the specialty breads shelf, new from Staff Bread!) Mind you, it's not that hard to resist Slimy Temptation by Tricky Dick, but I think even you and I might be seduced by the mouthwatering promise of being that one guy who could go to China. No, Prez is in this game we call politics for exactly one thing: everybody else in the United States of America.


And yes, it's truly a better world, pretty close to ours but only a slight vibratory dimension and one good man away. Look, he even saved John Belushi! (Celebrity in a Comic Book, folks!)


And his reward for it all? Well, in the end he gets exactly what we all get: he gets a lifetime.


Wait! One last act of defiance against the expectations of a President. When he discovers his temptor Boss Smiley is in charge "upstairs," Prez (with a little help from that crazy candy-colored clown called the Sandman) chooses another place, another path. Or, to paraphrase General John Stark (no relation to Tony) of New Hampshire: Die free, and live.


'Coz all Prez ever wanted to do was fix things so they ran right.


May we all make the same choice. May our Presidents and Prime Ministers and Premiers and Kings and leaders around the world and throughout the future ever strive to fix things. For all of us. For the dream.

---

* Offer not valid if you're reading this on not Presidents' Day, or indeed, if I forget to post it on President's Day.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 50: You are worth fighting for.

Panels from Martian Manhunter (2015 series) #8 (March 2016), script by Rob Williams, pencils by Eddy Barrows, inks by Eber Ferreira, colors by Gabe Eltaeb, letters by Tom Napolitano
You. Yes, you. You are worth fighting for.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 49: I still think of you when we dance / Although we can't jitterbug as we did then

To paraphrase Ms. Ciccone: who's that girl? Naw, she's not just another 1971 background character: you know her today as a vital part of Marvel comics and the MCU! Who is she? Go ahead, guess!


Panels from the Ka-Zar story "The Battle of New Britannia!" in Astonishing Tales (1970 series) #8 (October 1971), script by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Tom Sutton, letters by Artie Simek
Here's a hint: her name is Barbara!






Want another hint? Okay: She was married to one of the premier heroes of the Marvel Universe, and she's also a superhero herself?






Give up yet? Okay, her last name is Morse. Barbara Morse. You may know her instead, though, as Bobbi Morse, the mellifluous Mockingbird!, here in only her third appearance! It'll be a few issues before she gains a last name and some time before she becomes Agent 19 and then the Huntress and then Mockingbird, but now she's a Marvel Legend! Even though she spent several years kidnapped by Skrulls and yeah I'm gonna forget about that story.


Cover of Hawkeye (1983 series) #3 (November 1983), pencils by Mark Gruenwald, inks by Bob Layton
So remember; punch Nazis! Just like Barbara!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 48: Lovely Legion Lass Laurel Licks Loathsome Lizardy Lords

Panels from Legion of Super-Heroes (1989 "Five Years Later" series) #34 (October 1992), Plot and breakdowns by Keith Giffen;, dialogue and story assist by Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum, pencils and story assist by Jason Pearson, inks by Karl Story, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History: Death of comic book writer elicits concern...for comic book

Panel from Psi-Force #20 (June 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker
To be fair to the script, it's referring to the 1988 fictional death within the New Universe of Mark Gruenwald when Star Brand blew up a Pittsburgh comic book convention, not Gruenward's real-world passing in 1996. Within the pages of the New U, John Byrne and Howard Mackie got exploded too.

I like to think that within the New U, their ashes were mixed into the printers' ink that made Captain America. And DC put John Byrne's ashes in the ink for Superman. In other words, the world outside your window.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 47: Your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards

Panels from Seven Soldiers: [The Manhattan] Guardian #2 (July 2005), script by Grant Morrison, pencils and inks by Cameron Stewart, colors by Moose Baumann, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History: The Daily Bugle suddenly appears in the New Universe for no reason

House ad from Psi-Force #32 (June 1989), pencils and inks by Tom Morgan
Here's the ad art in full color from the cover of the first issue of The War, the New Universe's pretty-much-a-swan-song:


House ad from Psi-Force #32 (June 1989), pencils and inks by Tom Morgan

Today in Comics History: Hopes that the Russians love their children too are sadly dashed

Panel from Psi-Force #20 (June 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

365 Days of Defiance, Day 46: Break on through to the other side

Panels from Black Panther (1977 series) #12 (November 1978), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Mike Royer, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Mike Royer

365 Days of Defiance, Day 45: "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave."

Although his exact birthday isn't known, it's generally considered that today is the birth date of statesman, abolitionist, author and leading figure in the African American history Frederick Douglass. What else do we know about Douglass? What, say, does the leader of the United States know about him?

"Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice." — The President of the United States, marking the start of African-American History Month 2017

Let's learn a little bit more about him, shall we? (And check the hovertext on each image for — not jokes, not today — more quotes from Douglass.)






Panels from "Frederick Douglass" in Classics Illustrated #169 [Classics Illustrated #169 [Negro Americans: The Early Years] (Spring 1969), pencils and inks by Norman Nodel
There. You now know worlds more about Frederick Douglass than the President of the United States. And about a lot of other stuff, too, I bet. You can learn lots more if you follow up by reading Douglass's own works and a solid biography of the man. Remember: "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave."

Today in Comics History: Fat, black vulture, white head hung low, chewin' dead meat by the side of the road

Petey's got a hot date, Petey's got a hot date...



Panels from A Year of Marvels #2 (February 2016), script by Ryan North, layouts by Mast, pencils and inks by Danilo Beyrouth, colors by Cris Peter, letters by Travis Lanham
I predict this will not go well.



HA HA CISSY WILL HATE HIM NOW


Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy yer date with the Vulture, Pete!

The still-beating kawaii hearts that Starfire adorably ripped out of the chests of her cute enemies

Panel from Teen Titans Go! (digital 2014 series) #16 (February 2015); script by Amy Wolfram; pencils, inks, and colors by Lea Hernandez; letters by Wes Abbott

On this day we can conclude, Morgan Freeman loves you, dude

"Easy Reader's Valentine" from Spidey Super Stories #8 (May 1975), script by Jean Thomas, pencils by Win Mortimer

Today in Comics History: Ben Grimm is in big trouble with Alicia for forgetting Valentine's Day

Splash panel from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #160 (July 1975), script by Roy Thomas., pencils by John Buscema, inks by Chic Stone, colors by Janice Cohen, letters by Ray Holloway

365 Days of Defiance, Day 44: Mad mad boy grips the microphone wit' a fistful of steel

When we last left ex-con protagonist (if not hero) Steeljack, he was being drowned by villain the Conquistador. But can you keep a Robert Mitchum impersonator down? Well, you know what they say...


Panels from Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Wildstorm/Homage 1996 series) #20 (January 2000); script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Brent Anderson, inks by Will Blyberg, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by John Roshell and Wes Abbott
...Mitchum is so effective you can skip a day OR pound a villain into the ground! Mind you, the deodorant brand of the same name tended to focus more upon the skipping a day option rather than the latter.

Today in Comics History: We have a sudden realization that his last name actually wasn't "the Duck"

Panel from Howard the Duck (1979 magazine series) #6 (July 1980), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Mike Golden, inks by Bill McLeod, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History: Jeanne Constantine Still Won't Do Her Dirty Dishes

Panel from Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #2 (September 2000), script by Mark Millar, pencils by John McCrea, inks by James Hodgkins, colors by Ian Hannin, letters by Bill O'Neil

365 Days of Defiance, Day 43: Steel Fightin' Man

At the end of a long story arc (made even longer by creator health-related delays in its publishing schedule), we catch up with Astro City ex-con and Robert Mitchum-lookalike Steeljack when he finally faces off against El Conquistador, the quite-mad hero-turned-supervillain behind a plot to kill supers.


Panels from Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Wildstorm/Homage 1996 series) #20 (January 2000); script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Brent Anderson, inks by Will Blyberg, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by John Roshell and Wes Abbott
He's badly outpowered. Will he give up? Heck no.


But will he succeed? Um, possibly not.



This ain't the end, of course! Tune in tomorrow!

Today in Comics History: Fans line up overnight for the Playstation '47

Panel from Girl from Dior graphic novel (April 2015), script and art by Annie Goetzinger